Chronic Pain

KCP-400:
A novel non-opioid for the treatment of chronic pain

Significant unmet medical needs persist for patients suffering from chronic pain. Current therapies have limited efficacy and unfavorable side effects, while opioid-based therapies lead to tolerance and addiction. There are 259 million opioid prescriptions written every year and ~50 people die every day from prescription opioid overdose in the US1.

KCP-400 is a novel non-opioid therapy for the treatment of chronic pain that is derived from the venom of the Conus regius, a small cone snail native to the Caribbean Sea. It is a highly potent α9α10 nAChR antagonist that has demonstrated robust analgesic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects across multiple animal chronic pain models. It offers the potential of a disease modifying therapy that may slow the progression of chronic pain.

KCP-400’s drug target is not expressed in the central nervous system leading to a safer therapy with no centrally mediated toxicities. Unlike other chronic pain therapies, KCP-400 is non-addictive and non-tolerizing.

Preclinical studies demonstrate that KCP-400 may be an effective treatment for most types of chronic pain including radiculopathy, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and diabetic neuropathy. The global market for pain management pharmaceuticals and devices is projected to grow to ~$44.3B by 20202.